Archive for December, 2010

“CIER, the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources, helps Canadian First Nations manage their environmental issues, including access to safe drinking water. Merrell-Ann Phare, the Executive Director of CIER, visited the Shoal Lake 40 First Nation reserve to better understand their issues. Her goal is to see how CIER might be able to help.”

Some of the standout information in this video:

- we know that 1 in 5 of our FNs lives with a water advisory, CIER tells us that in reality it is 1 in 3

- Shoal Lake FN has been on a boil water advisory for 18 years… that means that children have grown to adults with these conditions… they’ve never known anything different

- Shoal Lake FN supplies water to Winnipeg… ironic for sure… an observer would surmise from this action that Winnipeg’s children are more important than Shoal Lake’s children… we need to change this… and I’m sure that as more Canadians become aware of this, they will act to see that it is changed… this would be a good time to mail in an empty glass for water to the Prime Minister, for the people of Shoal Lake… 18 years – the length of time it takes for our babies to become adults – is long enough.

- Merrell-Ann Phare states that the biggest water issue for FNs is the ability to control and protect sources of drinking water… she explains that CIER’s work is to go upstream to see how the problem was created

- Shelley Denny shares that the same guidelines that apply to aquatic species applies to drinking water. This was very good to hear… lots of things I read and hear, people compartmentalize water into neat categories… but they are NOT separate issues… quality and quantity of water for plants, animals, fish, and humans is all ONE issue… humans have messed the water up for everyone… it’s good to see people like Shelley Denny and the Unama’ki Institute that are combining traditional knowledge with science to maintain a healthy watershed.

Miigwech to Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, CIER and the Unama’ki Institute for your work.